Transportation leaders were floated as Clinton VP picks

Several prominent leaders in the transportation world were floated as potential running mates for Hillary Clinton by her team, including President Obama’s secretary of transportation.

{mosads}Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta emailed the Democratic presidential nominee a list of 39 names to consider for vetting as her eventual VP pick, according to a hacked email posted on WikiLeaks on Tuesday.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who endorsed Clinton in January, appeared on the list alongside other black lawmakers and officials. Foxx was confirmed unanimously by the Senate in 2013 and has since earned bipartisan praise in Congress.

Under Foxx’s leadership, the Department of Transportation has taken steps to spur drone and driverless car innovation, pushed for train safety technology and improved transportation access and opportunity in underserved communities.

Also included in the group with Foxx was New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, the top Democrat on a Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee who is leading the charge on a project to rebuild the aging Hudson Tunnel.

Mary Barra, chief executive officer and chairwoman of General Motors, also made the “first cut of people” and was listed with other prominent business leaders. Barra does not have political experience, but became the first female head of a major automaker.

Tapping a transportation figure for VP would have been in lockstep with Clinton’s campaign platform, which has made massive investments in the nation’s infrastructure a first-100-days priority.

Although Clinton ended up picking Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) as her vice president, Clinton could still tap Foxx, Booker or Barra for other spots in the administration if she wins the White House.

But Foxx declined to say whether he would stick around in government if Clinton asked him to serve in some capacity.

“That’s a really interesting question that I cannot answer, really because I don’t know the answer,” Foxx said told reporters during a pen-and-pad last week. “I certainly have my plate full with stuff that President Obama has asked me to do, and so if that conversation ever happens, I’ll have to reserve the answer for the person I’m talking to.”